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Relationship between smoking and diabetes becoming more apparent, county expert says

Posted 11/17/11

By Dr. BETH GERO Tobacco Cessation Center of Northern New York World Diabetes Day and the Great American SmokeOut are both this week, and that makes it a good time to talk about the relationship …

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Relationship between smoking and diabetes becoming more apparent, county expert says

Posted

By Dr. BETH GERO
Tobacco Cessation Center of Northern New York

World Diabetes Day and the Great American SmokeOut are both this week, and that makes it a good time to talk about the relationship between smoking and diabetes.

Many of us know that smoking causes heart attacks, vascular diseases, strokes, lung and many other cancers, however we need to understand that smoking and diabetes are highly associated with each other.

A number of studies have found that smoking can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. The studies have examined the association between smoking and the incidence of glucose abnormalities revealing that smoking could be independently associated with glucose intolerance.

A study which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed that there is a very strong correlation between smoking and diabetes. In fact, the study found that smoking leads to increased diabetes incidence. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes was more for heavy smokers than light smokers. People who smoked 16 or more cigarettes per day had a 61 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than light smokers.

Why does smoking cause diabetes? Smoking causes diabetes because it leads to insulin resistance or inadequate compensatory insulin secretion responses leading to a 50 percent likelihood of increased risk for diabetes among smokers, both men and women.

Diabetics who smoke increase their risk of dying of a heart attack and stroke three times over that of a non-smoker. Their risk of kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage that causes numbness, pain, weakness, and poor circulation which causes amputations is two to three times that of a non-smoker. Also, a smoker will have more difficulty recovering from surgery and a 66 percent greater risk of infection. The sooner a smoker quits, the better the chance of long term survival.

The American Cancer Society is marking the 36th Great American SmokeOut on November 17 encouraging smokers to use the date to make a quit plan or plan to quit in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life. Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you are up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. Research shows that people with a strong support network have a better chance of being successful.

November 17th at 5:30 PM the Tobacco Cessation Center at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center will be offering a free Quit Tobacco Workshop in the auditorium.

Other resources available: NYS Smokers Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS; or talk to your doctor.

Gero can be reached at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, 20 Cottage Street, Potsdam; 315-261-5436 (Office) bgero@cphospital.org